272 PONTIAC IN THE WEST. [1765, March. 



intercourse between the French and the Indians. 

 A Shawanoe chief, the orator of the embassy, dis- 

 played the great war-belt, and opened the council. 

 " These red dogs," he said, alluding to the color of 

 the British uniform, " have crowded upon us more 

 and more ; and when we ask them by what right 

 they come, they tell us that you, our French 

 fathers, have given them our lands. We know 

 that they lie. These lands are neither yours nor 

 theirs, and no man shall give or sell them without 

 our consent. Fathers, we have always been your 

 faithful children ; and we now have come to ask 

 that you will give us guns, powder, and lead, to 

 aid us in this war." 



D'Abbadie replied in a feeble voice, endeavoring 

 to allay their vindictive jealousy of the English, 

 and promising to give them all that should be nec- 

 essary to supply their immediate wants. The coun- 

 cil then adjourned until the following day ; but, in 

 the mean time, the wasted strength of the gover- 

 nor gave way beneath a renewed attack of his 

 disorder ; and, before the appointed hour arrived, 

 he had breathed his last, hurried to a premature 

 death by the anguish of mortified pride and 

 patriotism. M. Aub.ry, his successor, presided 

 in his place, and received the savage embassy. 

 The orator, after the solemn custom of his people, 

 addressed him in a speech of condolence, express- 

 ing his deep regret for D'x\bbadie's untimely fate.^ 



1 At all friendly meetings with Indians, it was customary for the 

 latter, when the other party had sustained any signal loss, to commence 

 by a formal speech of condolence, offering, at the same time, a black belt 

 of wampum, in token of mourning. This practice may be particularly 

 observed in the records of early councils with the Iroquois. 



